The UFC continued its financial ascent in 2025, generating a staggering $1.5 billion in revenue while posting a jaw-dropping 57% profit margin, a figure that would make most entertainment and sports properties envious. For a promotion that once struggled to sell PPVs in the early 2000s, UFC's transformation into a billion-dollar powerhouse is nothing short of remarkable.
‼️UFC Revenue Hits $1.5 Billion in 2025 with 57% Profit Margin but still underperformed against WWE
For the first time since TKO was formed, the MMA organization was outpaced by WWE in both total revenue and raw profitability.
UFC revenue grew 7% or $96M, year-over-year
WWE… pic.twitter.com/HCsU1jNlBw
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) February 25, 2026
The numbers cement what insiders have known for years, MMA isn't just a niche combat sport anymore, it's a global entertainment juggernaut. A 57% profit margin in the live sports and entertainment space is elite-level efficiency, suggesting that UFC's operational model, built around a deep fighter roster, a packed annual calendar, and international expansion, is firing on all cylinders.
The question now isn't whether UFC can sustain this momentum — it's whether the promotion's financial muscle can lift their new partnership with Paramount+ tied to it.
Can UFC Be the Life Raft for a Struggling Paramount+?
That question feels particularly urgent when you look at Paramount+. The streamer hit a milestone 79 million subscribers in 2025, with revenue climbing 17%, a genuine bright spot in what has otherwise been a turbulent stretch for David Ellison's media giant. Despite those gains, Paramount posted an overall loss of $573 million in Q4 2025, a sobering reminder that subscriber growth alone doesn't cure the bleeding caused by a rapidly declining linear TV business.
Live sports has increasingly become the strongest argument for streaming survival, and UFC content is one of the most-watched combat sports properties in the world. If Paramount can secure or expand UFC rights partnerships, or benefit indirectly through TKO Group Holdings' media deals — it could provide the kind of premium, appointment-viewing content that converts casual browsers into loyal subscribers.
The math is simple: UFC makes money consistently. Paramount needs content that justifies subscriptions and slows the cord-cutting hemorrhage. Whether Ellison's team can forge a deeper relationship with combat sports' most profitable brand may determine whether Paramount+ can finally bridge the gap between impressive subscriber numbers and actual profitability.
